Risk of Gastrointestinal Cancer in Celiac Patients Low Overall

Wednesday, December 28, 2011 (Last Updated: 12/29/2011)

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with celiac disease, inflammation, or latent celiac disease have a low risk of developing gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, although the risk is higher in the first year following diagnosis, according to a study published in the January issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Peter Elfström, M.D., from the Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital-Danderyd in Stockholm, Sweden, and colleagues analyzed data from three cohorts of patients: one with celiac disease (28,882 subjects), one with inflammation (12,860), and one with latent celiac disease (3,705). Biopsy samples were evaluated, and data were compared to an age- and sex-matched group.

The researchers found that 372 patients with celiac disease developed incident GI cancers, as did 347 patients with inflammation and 38 with latent celiac disease. In the first year after diagnosis and initial biopsy, celiac disease was associated with a 5.95-fold increase in the risk of incident GI cancer, with hazard ratios (HRs) for inflammation and latent celiac disease of 9.13 and 8.10, respectively. However, after the first year, patients were at no significant increased risk for GI cancers, with a HR of 1.07 for celiac disease, 1.16 for inflammation, and 0.96 for latent celiac disease. The excess risk for GI cancer in patients with celiac disease was 2/100,000 person-years.

"Although celiac disease, inflammation, and latent disease all increase [the] risk for GI cancers in the first year after diagnosis, there is no increase in risk thereafter," the authors conclude.